Jude stepped up into the room, a room epic in size where the ceiling seemed endless in shadow, with ledges around each level with no stairs connecting them. Each side appeared to be a bookcase with books in countless colours; shapes; sizes; languages and genres. They weren't kidding, he really is a bookworm, Jude thought. She started to feel pressure in her mind, like fingers trying to comb her brain but after a moment they stopped.

"You might want to shut that door. You're letting all the warm air out," A man said, his voice was light like he was smiling. He had an accent to him as well, but she couldn't place it.

Jude looked around herself for the source. On the floor level, there was leather furniture from two couches to chairs all angled towards the fireplaces that left the room with a steady glow, but she still couldn't see the man; until a pure white light shined from the third level of the library like a star. The man had olive skin, hair the colour of oil with eyes the same shade but had a playful spark living in them. The rest of his outfit appeared to be black too from his boots to his jeans and leather jacket, except for the white kafiya around his neck.

He didn't say another word, but his eyes did flick towards the door on the floor. Jude kicked it shut and the torches in the room, she hadn't noticed, ignited and illuminated the room. The man extinguished his wand before he put the book in his hand away. "I didn't know how long I'd be waiting, so I decided to do some light reading. I'm Amen."

He tapped his wand against his head turning into a black hawk and diving towards the ground, he looked like he was about to crash but lifted up just a fraction before changing back into his natural form and landing on his feet. He looked up at her with a wide grin expectantly, but Jude instead just walked over to one of the leather chairs and sat down. The man opened his mouth to speak but shut it and frowned, then he climbed on to the lounge sitting close to Jude.

"You're not going to ask or even look amazed?"

"You're an Animagus; not a unicorn."

His jaw dropped, "You've seen a unicorn?"

She didn't say a word as her eyes fluttered, shocked by his childlike enthusiasm. "... Yes."

"Where did you see it? Seeing a unicorn is on my list."

She couldn't believe his attitude; his enthusiasm, it was just baffling to Jude because she was a stranger and he didn't even know her name. She started to feel that same strange pressure in her mind again, but it was stronger than before and reminded Jude of her training. In one swift move, she stuck her wand under his chin, applying painful pressure that caused him to lift his head up.

"I encourage you to stop trying to poke into my head," Jude warned. "I'm a well-trained occumen, but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel like a spoon is cutting into my skull when people try."

"I'm sorry. Its been a lifelong habit. When people don't answer me, I can't help but listen in with my inner ear."

"You weren't listening, you were prying. If we are going to working together, I'm not going to put up with that."

"Sounds fair to me," Amen said with a grin, though he did have a cautious look in his eyes. Jude could see that he knew she wasn't one to bluff, but he also seemed like the rebellious type.

She put her hand back in her pocket and leaned back into the chair. Jude appeared to relax as if she hadn't just had his life in her hands a second ago, but on the inside, she watched him in her peripheral vision waiting just in case this Amen had the spiteful nature of a child as well. If he made any sudden moves didn't need a wand to ignite his scarf.

Instead, he just rubbed his chin and leaned back into the lounge. "Well, can you please just tell me where you saw the unicorn?"

The last and first time she'd ever seen a unicorn had been when she was younger, a fourth year at Hogwarts. On a winters day, a group of Redcaps had escaped in the middle of a class into the Forbidden Forest. Jude and five of the best kids in the class were picked to help Hagrid capture them. Hagrid said he wouldn't usually allow kids into the forest, but the Redcaps would upset the ecology of the creatures in the wood, and the more people to catch them; the less time they'd be in there running amuck. Jude was paired up with a boy she couldn't remember from Slytherin, and the two had managed to capture three Redcaps. All she remembered was the soft lighting of the twilight in the woods as they trekked back to the hut and like a gust of wind something large and whiter than the winter wood around it began to run in front of them. Time seemed to slow down as it galloped across from them, its bone blonde hair danced against the wind that smelt of winter; crisp and clean. The unicorn itself was like a holy ghost against the snow-covered forest, which looked grey in comparison. The only speck of colour was the gold of its hooves that were almost soundless except for the small crunch of snow. Jude had no idea at the time that the sighting was the first omen.

"I'm really trying not to be nosy, but you're making it difficult," Amen said, cutting into Jude's memory.

"Hogwarts."

"Oh ... that's too bad."

"Why is that? Hogwarts isn't as closed off as other schools. You could put in a request to visit. Hagrid would love to help."

Amen smiled with disappointment as her knitted his fingers together, "I'm kind of not allowed in England. They have restrictions and rules that don't exist to me, but they were only slight, so I was only deported."

Jude retreated into herself. So this man wasn't allowed in England, she thought. That's too much of a coincidence.

Amen seemed to pick up on her behaviour as he sat forward again. "What you have a problem with that?"

"I have a problem with what that means."

Amen started to chew his lip as he waited for Jude to elaborate but she didn't think to and was too occupied with the situation she has put herself into. "Can you please explain?"

"Could but won't. Consider it a lesson of humility."

"Humility? I was born with this gift."

"Now you have to earn the gift of my trust."

Amen shook his head at Jude before he with a dramatic air smacked his hands on his legs and got up. He left Jude's field of sight, but she followed him with her ear. She wasn't the type to be so guarded, but Jude hadn't said a word to him before he tried to open up her mind and shortcut a conversation. Amen had even tried to share with her his past with the law; to get her to open up. A shallow tactic that showed Jude he assumed she was a criminal, which he apparently was himself. Not a murderer, but Jude had no doubts he'd lifted with his inner ear in the wrong places.

"Can I at least know which one you picked?"

"The ash."

"The ash? Weird choice but then again you're pretty weird."

"Thank you."

Amen faced contorted into confused amusement before he shook his head and walked up to Jude pulling something out of his pocket. "Guess which one I picked?"

"Let me guess the podium with nothing on it?"

He froze for a moment stunned by her answer before he pursed his lips. "You are not wrong, but I can see how it would have been difficult to answer. I didn't pick it, but this was on it."

Amen pulled out a glass bottle frosted white with age, but sharp thin specs of electric blue appeared and disappeared. Jude leaned forward with a tense brow but curious eyes. "Is that ..."

"Lightening in a bottle? Why yes, yes it is," Amen said before he, in one swift moment, sat on the opposite lounge as before. He pressed himself into the right arm the leather of her jacket rumpling against the leather of the lounge. He held the bottle in the tips of his fingers, watching the lightning dance with a satisfied grin. "-I'd almost picked the diamond, but diamonds are common compared to lightning in a bottle."

He pulled his eyes away from it and looked at Jude the playful light in his eyes again. "Jealous?"

Jude cracked a smile, she was a bit jealous only because the choice she'd made was in comparison quiet boring. "Terribly."

The floor door snapped open cutting their conversation short and the torches, much to Jude's pleasure. She couldn't help but note the speed of this latest addition. This left Jude to assume that they either had low standards or they were desperate for their heart's desire. The click of the spikes of heels echoed up through the door, they were steady and firm, as Amen and Jude sat with silent interest until a black-haired woman in her thirties climbed into view. Her appearance suggested a level of professionalism, in the tailor-made fit of her white blouse that was tucked into her black trousers the same ink blackness as the locket on her chest. Jude could only tell the colour of the woman's eyes as they appeared to widen with molten anger within the mud brown of her eyes.

"You," she said, her voice sharp like a fired arrow.

Jude feared for a moment she was talking to her, but Amen jumped to his feet withheld his palms out in defence. "Now, Rosaline ... let's try and remain calm."

Rosaline whipped out her wand and Amen scrambled for his wand in the same moment. "Bombarda," Rosaline said, just as Amen pressed the tip of his wand to his head turning into his hawk form and flew up and out of the way of the explosion that hit one of the walls of books with a loud booming crack. The shattered remains and gust of wind cause a shower of burning book pages to fall upon the three of them and illuminating the room. Jude clutched the chair as her ears rang, while the smell of embers filled her nose.

"Bombarda," Rosaline yelled again, aiming upward. She missed Amen by inches to kill him, but the force of the explosion knocked him against the wall and on to one of the higher ledges. She then lowered her wand towards Jude.

"Who are you?"

"Not with him."

A/N: Hey there

Any guesses as to what sparked that combustive reaction?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter be sure to review and let me know.

I also want to thank Flaming Fate Zero and Exotence for their contributions with Amen and Rosaline.